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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28715220">All the small things</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kamelea/pseuds/kamelea'>kamelea</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship/Love, Gaara is in a band, Modern AU, Romance, kinda a song fic but not quite, rated m to be safe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:34:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,156</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28715220</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kamelea/pseuds/kamelea</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>GaaSaku, Modern AU</p><p>Gaara writes a song that goes big and everyone starts to wonder who the song is about. When the answer is so damn simple.</p><p>Rated M just to be safe</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gaara/Haruno Sakura</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic was inspired by the song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ht5RZpzPqw">“All the small things”</a> by blink-185. I’d recommend listening to the song as it will be strongly referenced to throughout the fic.<br/>Big thanks go to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olol/works">Olol</a> for beta reading ❤</p><p>Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto or any of its characters, it all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I also don’t own the song “All the small things”, it belongs to blink-185, as I don’t own any other of the songs featured in this fic.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div>
  <h2>Part 1</h2>
</div><p>“Why are you in such a rush? You’re the lazy Sunday afternoon kind of guy.” Sakura looked at him from the corner of her eye, waiting for the lights to change. She offered to drive him back from Hinata's parents’ beach house, and he would’ve never turned down such a proposal. Sakura was a better driver than him and enjoyed it more—thus Gaara became a frequent guest in her Toyota’s front seat.</p><p>“I need to go to the studio,” Gaara said, as she looked in the passenger’s side mirror changing lanes. He noticed the excited look on the rosette’s face. “I’ve been hit with… some inspiration,” he explained.</p><p>Said inspiration was currently his lovely driver, who stayed with him till the late hours the night prior, not minding the cold sand or the breeze despite her tendency to get cold easily. They went to the beach with the gang to welcome another spring into their lives—Sakura herself was a symbol of that particular season in Gaara’s eyes. Fluffy cherry blossoms’ colored hair accompanied with those wide eyes full of energetic green. In the delicate moonlight she looked adorable; twittering and laughing in his old hoodie, the one she stole it from him.</p><p>The two of them stayed behind to admire the beautiful evening, which ended with Gaara sharing his concerns with her regarding the new album the band was about to release.</p><p>“We need something to validate our position on the market. We’ve had a few successful albums, so what—” he snorted, resigned. “There are many bands like ours, playing in a similar style. Our fans are loyal, but Kakashi says we need to get through to a more general audience. And being honest, I’m not quite sure we got it.”</p><p>She listened to him closely, and once he finished his rant it took a while for her to speak. From the crease on her forehead, Gaara knew she pondered about the issue, looking for good advice. And with that big brain of hers, Sakura always thought of something brilliant—she was very likely the smartest person he knew. Well, she didn’t become a scientist for no reason. </p><p>“You’re an amazing musician, Gaara,” she finally spoke and he sat a bit more straighter at her praise, content with himself. “I’m sure you’ll come up with something great. You just need… to get out of your comfort zone.”</p><p>Sakura gave him quite the quandary for the night—till dawn he’d been thinking of the limits of said comfort zone. And by the morning, he had an answer. Hence the rush to write it all down.</p><p>“Please don't tell me you're refusing a nice cup of coffee in such delightful company, ie me, so that you can write another sad song that will tear me up and break my heart into pieces.” She whined, taking the turn to the street where the band’s studio building was. Gaara was known for his rather gloomy and depressing style of songwriting.</p><p>She parked right outside the front door to the studio and right after she stopped the car, he said, “It’s gonna be a happy song this time.”</p><p>“No way!” Her mouth widened in the most adorable “o” as her hand landed on his shoulder to squeeze it hard. “What a weekend! First Naruto announces he's moving in with Hinata, and now you write a happy song!”</p><p>Sakura bombarded him with questions about his current creation as he collected his bags from the trunk. Not giving away anything, he only smiled and shrugged. Not even her puppy dog eyes worked.</p><p>Gaara tapped her nose. “I don’t want to spoil it.”</p><p>After they bid their goodbyes and Gaara took the first step towards the building, Sakura caught his wrist and stopped him. She landed a kiss on his cheek and whispered, “Can’t wait to hear your happy song.”</p><p> </p><p>∾∴∾</p><p> </p><p>“You hate it.” Gaara exhaled loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose with irritation. He spent the last two days in their studio working on the song: lyrics, arrangement and composition. Even though he could barely keep his eyes open he didn’t want to wait any longer to present the effect to Shikamaru. He played it for him, the basic melody only, singing the lyrics and now his guitar heaved in his arms as he awaited his bandmate’s opinion.</p><p>“Actually… I like it,” Shikamaru nodded appreciatively, but sounded surprised. Gaara leaned closer, failing to hide his anticipation. “I think it's gonna fit nicely on the album.” Excitement spread through Gaara’s chest. Shikamaru looked him in the eye. “It’s just that… it’s so different from what you usually write. For once it’s an uplifting song, catchy even. And… it’s about a girl, right? You never want to release those songs.”</p><p>His friend had every right to wonder about his motives, and since Shikamaru was smart, he probably figured it out already. Gaara didn’t feel like confirming any of his suspicions though.</p><p>“It’s not a love song,” the redhead shrugged. “It could be interpreted as being about a friend just as well.”</p><p>Shikamaru’s mouth turned into a sly smirk. “A friend you’re <em>pining</em> after.”</p><p>Gaara dropped his head into his palms with a growl. “Don’t ever use that word with me.” </p><p>Shikamaru bursted into laughter. “Do your siblings know? Naruto? Or Sakura?” Gaara’s heartbeat quickened at the mention of rosette's name and he didn’t appreciate how Shikamaru’s brow raised in mocked curiosity.</p><p>“Drop it,” Gaara snarled. “Nevermind who this song is about. It’s good enough to release and that’s what matters, right?”</p><p>His friend nodded with a shrug, but the smug look on his face remained.</p><p>Shikamaru knew him too well. Almost as well as Naruto, although he wasn’t as blunt as the blond to inquire about Gaara’s personal matters. They’d known each other for almost a decade now, they met thanks to Naruto during their school times. Shikamaru and the blond were classmates, and since Gaara often visited the Uzumaki household as a kid, the three of them naturally started hanging out. Soon, they discovered they both shared a passion for music and started jamming in the Uzumaki’s garage, whenever the redhead was in town. After sometime, Lee joined their small sessions, as Naruto realized his musical skills weren’t anywhere near his friends’. So he found Lee to take his place at the drums to support the band—Naruto had always been their biggest fan. It started to get serious when Shikamaru decided to move to Suna to go to the same prestige Music Academy as Gaara. Or at least so he said—Gaara had his suspicions it also had something to do with his growing interest in the redhead’s sister, Temari.  </p><p>Lee joined them once they started playing small gigs at college bars. While Gaara and Shikamaru were multi-instrumentalists, Lee only played the drums.  And he was one of the best drummers out there. Incredibly fast yet accurate, able to keep up with every rhythm. He claimed the power of youth fueled him to perform the best drums solos Gaara had ever heard, and his bandmates always cringed whenever he talked about it during interviews. </p><p>With time they earned some recognition and recorded their first demo. That got them a label deal, followed with the craziest and most stressful winter in Gaara’s life: working on their first album while trying to graduate school. They succeeded at all fronts. Shikamaru and he graduated at the age of 23, their first album being certified as gold in Suna. </p><p>Their real popularity came when they moved to Konoha. </p><p>The city was well known for its musical history and successes, full of renowned producers and the best facilities. They also got lucky Kakashi wanted to work with them. He was a brand all on his own. After finishing school, all three of them moved to Konoha to fully develop their music. The decision to leave his home city wasn’t that hard, he and Naruto always wished they could live in the same city.</p><p>And the fact Sakura lived in Konoha as well, was a perk he discovered some time later.</p><p> </p><p>∾∴∾</p><p> </p><p>The lights blinded him and made him sweat, but Gaara loved to be up on stage. The air was hot and stiff with so many people in the closed area. The hall they booked wasn’t a big one. It was a last minute operation to organize this small gig for their local fans, a surprise their audience welcomed with great joy. They missed the stage, but the real reason for the performance was them wanting to test their new album’s material live. Gaara didn’t feel confident about the song yet.<br/>
“And now…” Gaara spoke into the microphone, panting. “We have something new for you to try out. Would you like to hear?”<br/>
The crowd roared. Gaara started his guitar.</p><p><em>All the small things<br/>
True care, truth brings<br/>
I'll take one lift<br/>
Your ride best trip</em>
</p><p>
<em>Always I know<br/>
You'll be at my show<br/>
Watching, waiting,<br/>
Commiserating</em>
</p><p>
<em>Say it ain't so,<br/>
I will not go,<br/>
Turn the lights off,<br/>
Carry me home</em></p><p>
  <em>(Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na)</em>
</p><p>
<em>Late night, come home<br/>
Work sucks, I know<br/>
She left me roses by the stairs,<br/>
Surprises let me know she cares</em></p><p>
<em>Say it ain't so,<br/>
I will not go,<br/>
Turn the lights off,<br/>
Carry me home</em>
</p><p>(Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na)</p><p>
<em>Keep your head still,<br/>
I'll be your thrill,<br/>
The night will go on,<br/>
My little windmill</em></p><p>∴</p><p>Sweat on his forehead and adrenaline pumping in his veins, Gaara retreated backstage. He grinned seeing his best friend pumping his fists in excitement as he saw him approaching.</p><p>“Man! That was AWESOME!” Naruto threw his arm around Gaara’s shoulders flashing his no.1 grin at him. He dragged him to Hinata, who also had a soft beam on her face. Naruto kept shouting into his ear, “It’s been a while since I’ve been to one of your shows. I almost forgot how good it feels!”</p><p>“It’s been merely 2 months since we last played, Naruto.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I like your Konoha shows best!”</p><p>Gaara smiled. Always the supporter. Gaara’s first public music performance happened because of none other than the Uzumaki himself. On his 10th birthday, the blond requested Gaara to sing him a song—and the redhead couldn’t refuse his best friend this small joy. Even if it led to him hyperventilating when Naruto’s birthday guests gave him a round of applause.</p><p>Ever since Gaara remembered, the hyperactive blond was present in his life, because of the deep bond their mothers shared. For many years Naruto was the only friend the awkward redhead kid had. Kushina loved to joke that the boys got mixed after the birth, because Gaara’s hair colour matched hers more than his mother’s. And Karura would laugh wholeheartedly before clasping Gaara in a tight embrace saying he was hers <em>‘forever and ever’</em>. The 7-year-old Gaara cringed, but the current 25-year-old craved to hear her saying it one more time, hugging him close to her heart. </p><p>Thanks to Naruto and music he somehow managed to cope with his mother’s sudden death.</p><p>He’d known Naruto since forever, but didn’t start to fully appreciate their friendship until Karura died. The Uzumaki family was there for him and his siblings, and Naruto in particular gained a special place in Gaara’s heart. During his rebellious teenage years Gaara often used the Uzumaki house as an escape from the stiff atmosphere of his family home. At some point, Kushina cleared a few drawers for him in Naruto’s wardrobe to keep his things there, so that he didn’t have to bring anything with himself but his guitar.</p><p>Yeah, he owed quite a lot to Naruto and his family. </p><p>Once Naruto let go of him to congratulate Shikamaru and Lee on the gig, Hinata approached him and squeezed his arm. “That new song is beautiful, Gaara. I loved it.”<br/>
Despite the overall delicate image of Hinata, the girl truly loved a sharp guitar. Her comment made Gaara’s lip curve upwards, although there was something about Hinata’s gaze and smile that suddenly made him very nervous. Was the song so obvious?</p><p>“Where’s Sakura?” he asked, anxiety gripping his stomach. What if she ran away after figuring it out? Then he’d only have heartbreak songs ahead of him.</p><p>“Bathroom break—oh, here she comes.” Hinata pointed somewhere behind him, and as he turned he saw Sakura approaching from a back corridor. </p><p>He couldn’t help the small smile from growing on his face. Sakura’s presence always lifted his spirits. His smile faltered however as he took in her state—she looked somewhat messy, her eyes and nose slightly red, arms crossed on her chest. However, even in her jumbled state she looked stunning, especially as she reciprocated his smile with her own toothy grin. </p><p>“Bravo! Exquisite performance! Chapeau bas!” She started clapping and did a little show of taking off an imaginary hat, bowing gracefully. “Those are just a few of tomorrow’s headlines commenting on the show.” </p><p>She didn’t stop flashing her smile at him, and Gaara felt his cheeks growing warm. He briefly noticed Hinata walking away with a smile, leaving them alone in the dimmed corner of the backstage.</p><p>Ignoring her praise, he cut to the chase. “Okay, honest opinion. What do you think?”</p><p>“I meant it. The show was—”</p><p>“The song.”</p><p>“Oh, the song…” she echoed. Her smile lost some of its brightness, and his palms started to sweat. “Honestly?”</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>“Totally different from what I expected,” Sakura admitted. “But it’s good. So good.”</p><p>Gaara squinted his eyes at her. She was hiding something. “You really think so?”</p><p>Then it came back, that excited smile of hers. “You saw the crowd. People went crazy when you played it.” </p><p>Gaara sighed. “I’m not asking for the crowd’s opinion, I’m asking for yours. Do <em>you</em> like it?”</p><p>It took Sakura a millisecond too long to answer. “...Yes.”</p><p>“You’re lying,” he said, keeping a light voice. “Come on, Sakura, tell me the truth.”</p><p>“I am telling the truth!” She spit out, fire burning in her eyes. Despite his delicate approach, he angered her anyway. “I like the song, I really do!” With a deep breath her annoyance seemed to dissolve. “I’m just… surprised. That’s all.”</p><p>“Surprised? Why?”</p><p>Sakura hesitated and looked away. “It’s a personal song.”</p><p>“Most of my songs are personal.”</p><p>She groaned. “Well this one’s different.” Before Gaara could inquire more about that, she was quick to continue. “But it’s good. Can’t you take a compliment?” She spat and Gaara knew that was the cue to end their discussion. </p><p>“Are you okay? You look red.” He pointed at her nose and eyes.</p><p>“Allergies,” she blurted out, her tone pitchy. “Now go and change that t-shirt, I don’t wanna eat ramen with you stinking of stage sweat,” she said in a more lighthearted tone, sending him a small smile. </p><p>Then she left, her steps somewhat aggressive.   </p><p>Still rooted to his spot, he kept looking at her back. Not exactly the reaction he hoped for, but it could’ve been worse, right?</p><p> </p><p>∾∴∾</p><p> </p><p>They had another gig a few days later. This time no one waited for him backstage, which didn’t surprise Gaara given it was a weekday. His friends had jobs, careers to tend to, and they couldn’t always be present at their concerts. Although Sakura’s absence bothered him slightly—he tried not to look too much into it, but he didn’t even get one text message from her in the last few days. Ever since they played that damn song for the first time.  </p><p>Eager to get home and brood, Gaara went to the storage room where he left his things. He made a lot of noise entering, bursting the door open and pulling his shirt that was drenched with sweat over his head. He froze in the middle of the room once he noticed a pink haired head on the table and the rest of a body on the armchair. </p><p>Now awake, Sakura blinked disoriented at him. His stomach flipped. Grabbing a fresh shirt from his backpack on the way, he crouched in front of her, their eyes on the same level now. Hers were surprisingly wide given how sleepy she looked, probably because of the panicked look. </p><p>“The show…” she gasped.</p><p>Gaara grinned. “Boring, was it?” </p><p>“Shit! I came straight from work and just wanted to sit down for a second—Did I miss the whole show?”</p><p>He nodded, a smile still plastered on his face.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, Gaara!”</p><p>She had no reason to apologize—the fact she came over to be there for him, despite her fatigue, was enough to warm his heart. Even if she slept through the whole gig.</p><p>He put the fresh shirt on and Sakura brushed his hair back into place. Gaara caught her gaze, and she retreated her hand nervously and blushed. “I hoped to hear the new song again,” she muttered.</p><p>“Good thing you didn’t. I’m not yet satisfied with the composition. And I’m still not over the whole <em>‘na-na-na’</em> singing part.”</p><p>Sakura laughed out loud, hiding her mouth behind her hand. “Why? I sure enjoyed seeing you really getting into <em>that</em> last time.” Gaara shot her a flat glare, which only made her laugh more. “To think Kakashi somehow convinced you to include that, it still astonishes me.”</p><p>Kakashi Hatake was a big part of the band’s music production, a label representative who actually cared about the band. However, the redhead didn’t always fully agree with his ideas. </p><p>Gaara bit his lip. “He wants to release it as the album’s first single.”</p><p>Sakura’s brows shot up her wide forehead, and a beam appeared on her flushed face. “That’s great, Gaara!” She slipped down the armchair and pulled him into a loose embrace. He tried to ignore the burn of his cheeks at the sudden contact, and encircled her waist with his arms. </p><p>Sakura had a reason to be excited for him. None of the songs he’d written had been chosen as singles for their albums in the past. Even though fans ended up loving his songwriting, the label always claimed his songs to be too serious and controversial to promote an album with them. “I’m so happy for you,” she said into his shoulder, “this song is gonna be a huge success.” </p><p>Gaara pulled away, but let his hands rest on her waist. He wished he had an ounce of her enthusiasm. “How would you know it?”</p><p>“I can feel it in my old bones.”</p><p>A warm smile grew on her face and suddenly Gaara forgot about all his concerns regarding the song. </p><p>A few seconds passed and he kept staring, so he decided to divert the conversation on a different route to hide his embarrassment. “Yeah, you should take better care of those ‘old’ bones of yours. You look exhausted.” She smacked his arm. “Ouch! What was it for? For showing concern?”</p><p>“For implying I look bad!”</p><p>He laughed. Putting his palms on the sides of her face, he lowered it and landed a brief kiss at the center of the pink head. “Never change.”</p><p>Gaara let go of her, but they still kneeled on the floor and Sakura’s head stayed down. “Are we good?” she asked, apprehensive.</p><p>He shot her a confused look. “Yes. Why wouldn’t we?”</p><p>“I thought you might be upset with me.” Sakura raised her eyes to him. “I was rude to you the other night,” she said.</p><p>Oh, that. He sighed. </p><p>“I hurt your feelings, didn’t I?” she pressed on, her fingers fidgety on her lap.</p><p>“Sakura, you moron. You don't have to like all of my songs, you’re aware of that, right?” he laced a bit of sarcasm into his tone to turn this whole troublesome conversation into a banter but she didn’t back down.</p><p>“It’s not just another regular song, <em>you</em> moron.” Sakura pressed a finger into his chest. “It’s your happy song! And I should’ve been more supportive, no matter how much it confused me.” </p><p>That spiked his interest. </p><p>He opened his mouth to inquire about that, but Sakura kept talking, “I’m so sorry. I loved the song, I really did.” She squeezed his arm. “I was going through something that night and… I didn’t act like a good friend should, and for that I’m sorry.”</p><p>She looked at him, guilt evident in her expression and his heart squeezed. Were her eyes always that big? He felt his core melting under her warm gaze until it turned into a mushy goo. </p><p>Gaara cleared his throat, disrupting the silence.</p><p>“Although unnecessary, the apology is accepted. But it still makes <em>you</em> the moron if you thought for a second you weren’t a good friend.” He reached for her hands on her lap and closed them in his palms. “You’re here, after a long shift and God only knows how many hysterical outbursts from your boss, barely keeping your eyes open only to support a ‘na-na-na’ singing moron.”</p><p>Sakura giggled, looking at their joined hands. </p><p>“Yes, that is quite noble of me.”</p><p> </p><p>∾∴∾</p><p> </p><p>“Why do you keep your plants as your wallpaper? I’ll never understand.” Naruto looked over Gaara’s shoulder, eyeing the roses on his screen. They were beautiful and rare, and Gaara appreciated his plants, no matter how hard his friends teased him about it. </p><p>“You have fucking ramen on your wallpaper,” Gaara shot back. </p><p>“But it’s a picture of Hinata <em>and</em> ramen.”</p><p>“Two things Naruto loves the most,” Sakura giggled, taking a seat next to him on her couch.</p><p>Just a small group of friends had gathered at Sakura’s place to celebrate the release of the song, and to see the music video for the first time on her 60’’ plasma. Gaara was a bit anxious for his friends to see the result of the many hours in the studio and then another couple on the video set.<br/>
Once everyone took their seat, Sakura pressed play. </p><p>Some might say the idea for the video was original and interesting, but Gaara wasn’t one of those people. He disliked it from the start. The label proposed a parody of the most cringy and mainstream music videos the internet had come to love in recent years. That meant a lot of stupid dancing and undressed people. Including them.</p><p>“Your fans are gonna love it. Gaara, you show so much skin in this video.” Sakura laughed, and he shot her a glare. “And those moves!” she whistled and fanned herself in a mocking fashion. </p><p>There was this long scene of him singing and mocking-dancing without his shirt on. Sakura was probably right that the script included that to entice his fans.<br/>
“I didn’t have much of a choice,” Gaara muttered. </p><p>On the screen the three of them appeared, engaging in even more embarrassing dance moves and melodramatic singing. Gaara actually had a lot of fun filming that part with his bandmates. The whole room laughed and Sakura buried her face in his arms to stiffen her giggles.</p><p>“Oh my god, I love it!” she exclaimed, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes.</p><p>“Because of how much skin I’m showing?” Gaara asked, struggling to keep a straight face.</p><p>Sakura only rolled her eyes, but didn’t manage to hide her blush from him.</p><p>And then was the part that Gaara dreaded the most. A scene of some girls kissing them—of course the whole of it was set as a mockery, but the act itself happened. At least he managed to convince the director to make it as innocent as possible, and not engage in a full make-out session on the screen. Lee sure made up for it, as he really went all the way with the actress on the video.</p><p>For the rest of the screening Gaara couldn’t bring himself to look at Sakura. His neck burnt in embarrassment, and his anxiety levels rose once the video ended and the audience shared their opinions, but Sakura kept oddly quiet.</p><p>“Was the last part truly necessary?” Hinata asked cautiously.</p><p>“It was a direct parody of a popular music video from a few weeks ago,” Shikamaru explained. “Believe me when I tell you we wanted to avoid it.”</p><p>“It’s just acting,” Lee shrugged. “Although that girl surely had hots for Gaara,” he shot the redhead a suggestive glance. </p><p>After that Gaara got bombarded with questions and innuendos. In the chaos of it all, Sakura got up and excused herself to make some more popcorn. Soon, he followed to escape the zone of utter embarrassment and let people torment his bandmates as well. </p><p>“Fuck!” </p><p>He heard her cursing even before he entered the room. The sight that welcomed him in the kitchen was Sakura with her shoulders slumped, head down in front of the stove with a lot of smoke all over the place.</p><p>Gaara got to her in a few quick strides to see if she didn’t hurt herself.</p><p>“Are you— ?”   </p><p>“I ruined it.” Her voice broke. She raised her head and with panic Gaara realized her bottom lip was trembling. Not a good sign. “I got distracted and before I knew it, there was smoke everywhere,” she sniffed. “I can’t even make popcorn.”</p><p>If Gaara had to name one thing that Sakura was <em>not</em> good at he’d offer cooking. He knew it was a sore spot for her, ever the perfectionist that the rosette was, although that reaction seemed a bit too dramatic for her.</p><p>“We can make another. Together.” He added, pulling her into a side-hug. Much to his contentment, her arms squeezed his waist.</p><p>“It was the last bag. I ruined the others as well.”</p><p>“Then we won’t eat any junk food. You always tell us we eat too much of that stuff. Maybe it was your subconsciousness sabotaging the popcorn-making process.”<br/>
Sakura laughed into his chest and then she drew back to start cleaning up the mess. He wished she wasn’t in such a rush to pull away.  </p><p>She seemed to calm down now and Gaara had to be careful if he wanted to broach the topic. “Aside from the malicious popcorn… Was there any other reason for that little meltdown?” </p><p>Sakura scoffed. “It wasn’t a meltdown.”</p><p>It was, but Gaara didn’t think arguing would be in his favor. “Fine. A small moment of weakness. Any reason for that?”</p><p>For example a very suggestive music video he happened to take part in.</p><p>“Nope,” Sakura shook her head innocently. “I’m a bit stressed, that’s all,” she added in a more somber voice. It was enough to spark his concern.</p><p>“Work again?”</p><p>“Mostly.”</p><p>“Then quit. You hate working there.”</p><p>Sakura worked in a R&amp;D team for a big international company. Working in a laboratory had always been a dream of hers, however she’d always hoped to work on more meaningful things than creating products purely for consumption. Besides, the corporate pace was something she didn’t feel quite good about, working non-paid over hours and inhuman deadlines.  </p><p>“I will,” she stated, confident. “I told you already—as soon as there’s an open position at the university I’m out of there.”</p><p>Gaara hoped she meant it—he hated seeing her all worked up about the job and exhausted.</p><p>“Let’s forget about that,” she changed the topic quickly. “We have a reason to celebrate today!”</p><p>“I don’t see a reason to celebrate. We’re just releasing a single,” he retorted, trying to keep his voice emotionless. He didn’t want to admit he had some expectations regarding <em>his</em> song.</p><p>“It’s not just a single! It’s your happy song,” Sakura exclaimed, heading to the fridge. “And specially for this occasion, look what I got you!”</p><p>She yanked a bottle out of the shelf. Gaara couldn’t help but laugh. In her hands there was a bottle of the very same cheap champagne the two of them got drunk on the night of Gaara’s first New Year’s Eve in Konoha. </p><p>“You’re planning on getting me drunk with that again?” he asked with a smirk.</p><p>“We can be civilized around a bottle of champagne. Besides, it was <em>you</em> who got <em>me</em> drunk!”</p><p>That wasn’t at all as Gaara remembered it, but he grinned at her all the same. Maybe it wasn’t the champagne that got him drunk that night. </p><p> </p><p>∾∴∾</p><p> </p><p>Someone was banging on his front door. Way too loud and way too early.</p><p>Cursing under his breath, Gaara walked slowly to the door. He hoped to annoy the guest with his dilly dallying just as much as their banging annoyed him. However, his negative thoughts directed at the visitor vanished the moment he opened the door, revealing his pink-haired friend.</p><p>“Sakura, what are you doing at this—”</p><p>“Look!” She shoved her phone right up his face, almost smashing his nose. He glanced at her, irked, before taking the device from her hands to put it in a comfortable distance from his eyes. </p><p>
  <em><strong>“All the small things” by Sand Tanuki topped the charts in just one night!”</strong></em>
</p><p>Gaara briefly scanned the short article, absentmindedly ushering Sakura to get inside. They only released the single the night before and already it was receiving a lot of positive attention, gaining views, and climbing through the charts. Dazed, he reached for his own phone on the kitchen counter—it wasn’t as early as he thought, almost 10 am—and saw a mass of notifications, missed calls, and unread messages.</p><p>“What is going on?” He breathed.</p><p>Discarded from her jacket and boots, Sakura approached him, gripped him on the shoulders and led him to the nearest chair. </p><p>“I think you should sit down for a second and relax, okay?” she said in a calm voice, as if talking to a child. Despite her warm smile, she looked slightly concerned. If he looked as out of breath as he felt, he didn’t blame her. “You look disturbed. Is everything okay? I’ve tried to reach you for hours.”</p><p>“I was sleeping.”</p><p>“Oh. That’s good right? You’re usually up before 7.”</p><p>“I fell asleep at 5.”</p><p>Sakura ran her hand down her face, sighing. “You left my place at ten. What were you doing up for so long? You know it fucks up your sleep pattern.”</p><p>“Songwriting,” he said, as if it could be an explanation for all unreasonable decisions. In a way it was for him. Having those <em>feelings</em>, he had to release some of his emotions that lovely evening they had sparked. But since he didn’t want her to focus on that topic, he was quick to continue, “Besides, you’re one to talk. Overworking yourself like you do.”</p><p>Sakura ignored his accusation completely. “Songwriting? You’re working on another album already?”</p><p>Damn, she was hard to distract at times.</p><p>“No, that’s just for me.” Sakura raised her brows at him, but before she could ask him about it and embarrass him further, he continued. “Nevermind. Why aren’t you at work?”</p><p>“I wanted to be here when you read it.” Sakura beamed at him.</p><p>Gaara looked at the phones, his nerves slowly cooling down. “Yeah, what is this all about?”</p><p>Sakura flashed him a broad smile. “It’s a success! The song is going viral, Gaara! Can you believe it?”</p><p>“Not quite.”</p><p>“Well, believe it! This is huge.” </p><p>Gaara looked once again at the screen of her phone, reading the headline. Only then he smiled. A wide, relieved beam. He stood up abruptly, almost causing Sakura to trip, but she didn’t because his arms had already sneaked around her waist, hugging her tightly.</p><p>He wondered if she knew it was all because of her. Probably not. </p><p>Her arms squeezed around his neck.</p><p>“Thank you,” he whispered into her hair. </p><p>“What for?” she asked, so quiet he barely heard her.</p><p>“For being you. For believing in me. And for kicking my ass when I needed it. I know I was hard to be around with in the last few months.”</p><p>He heard a sob. “Stop it, Gaara. You know I hate crying. It ruins my makeup.” She sniffed and wiped her nose into his shoulder.</p><p>He chuckled and hugged her even tighter.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading!<br/>This will be a three part story, it's already finished--the rest only needs some editing and proofreading. I will probably post the 2nd part sometime next week :)</p><p>Kudos brighten my day and comments feed my soul ❤ please let me know in the comments what you think! </p><p>Stay safe ❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A big round of applause for Olol for being an awesome beta!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the positive reactions I received ❤ your kudos and comments brighten my days!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div>
  <h2>Part 2</h2>
</div>The next few weeks after the album release were a blur. Interviews, social media, small shows, invitations to various parties, and overall unexpected attention. For the first time the band was in the spotlight on such a scale. They had to be very careful and particular when choosing places to show up to—they didn’t want to become part of pop culture. Promoting the album was important, but not at the expense of their image and fanbase. Kakashi turned out to be a huge help, saying no to the most cringy invitations and setting up more prestigious interviews.<p>In general, Gaara was satisfied with the promotion period, although the success of <em>“All the small things”</em> overwhelmed him. It played on every radio station, at every party—according to Ino at least—and they even got an offer to feature the chorus in a commercial (that they politely declined). The song had gone mainstream and Gaara didn’t know how he felt about it. He wasn’t prepared for the attention—both directed at the song and at him. </p>
<p>Fans debated online about the song, coming up with crazy theories. People asked him private questions about it and the internet overflowed with interpretations. Every interaction he had with a female singer or other famous person got under full scrutiny, as his fans analyzed their behaviour for clues as to who Gaara sang about.</p>
<p>Thankfully, he knew a way to detach himself from all the chaos regarding his career. Sakura always managed to make him feel better about it all, even if she made fun of every new theory regarding the song. She seemed surprisingly up to date with all the gossip regarding it. </p>
<p>However, Sakura had yet to share her personal opinion on that matter and Gaara didn’t know whether he felt relieved or disappointed about it. Fear of rejection or awkwardness between them kept him from asking. Hearing the song and singing it so many times already, it reinforced his impression that the message of the lyrics should’ve been clear to the people who knew him well. Hinata sending him knowing smiles whenever the subject of the song came up in the presence of Sakura affirmed his line of reasoning. Sakura must’ve known at this point, right? </p>
<p>Going through the possible reasons why she wouldn’t bring it up made Gaara lie awake at night. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>∾∴∾</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I read <em>‘The Rolling Stones’</em> review the other day, have you?” Sakura asked, her elbows deep in the sink, washing plates after a small celebration they had at Naruto and Hinata’s place—they had moved in together earlier that week. Hinata prepared a delicious dinner and they figured they could at least wash the dishes for her.</p>
<p>“Nah,” he grunted, wiping another plate dry. “I’m avoiding all reviews. Musically, the song isn’t that good and I’m painfully aware of it now. It’s just a few basic chords and that’s all there is.”</p>
<p>“Ah,” Sakura waved her hand dismissively, spraining water on him. “Most hit songs aren’t musically sophisticated. That’s why they’re popular—because they fit the taste of the masses.”</p>
<p>“Are you trying to make me feel better or worse?” he asked with a dry tone.</p>
<p>Sakura giggled. “I know you’ve always wanted to make ambitious music, and you do.” She pressed her finger covered with foam into his chest as if to emphasize her point. “But with this song… I can tell you had fun writing it.” A wide beam grew on Sakura’s face, happy but her voice had a melancholic tone to it.</p>
<p>“It was more of a… guilty pleasure,” he admitted in a soft voice. “Something to get out of my comfort zone—as someone advised me to do, by the way.” He nudged her with his elbow.</p>
<p>Sakura hummed appreciatively. “Must’ve been someone very wise.” She grinned, wiggling her eyebrows. He shook his head at her antics, but let the corner of his lips quirk. Her own smile faded, making place for a more somber expression. “I don’t know how to say this, but…” Sakura scrubbed the pot slowly, biting her lip which gave Gaara the impression she was weighing her words there. Without looking at him, she carried on, “I’m glad to know there’s someone like that in your life. To inspire your happy song.” She then smiled at him, but again, it had that wistful tinge to it.</p>
<p>Frozen, Gaara mechanically wiped the bowl, even though the cloth screeched against the surface of it from the dry rubbing. What was she trying to say? Did she not get it?</p>
<p>How?</p>
<p>Silence fell between them, disturbed only with the sound of dish washing, as Gaara tried to snap out of his confusion.</p>
<p>“So, do you want to know what <em>‘The Rolling Stones’</em> called the song or not?” Sakura asked, her tone bearing a more lighthearted note.</p>
<p>Gaara rolled his eyes. “Yeah, let's get this over with.”</p>
<p>“They called it <em>‘the most subtle song about sex’</em>,” Sakura cited, feigning a posh accent. She was such a goof, and if her comment didn’t make him so nervous he’d have a dopey smile up his face for sure. Her eyes were piercing, waiting for his response.</p>
<p>Gaara looked away, suddenly very diligent about wiping that one particular plate. He shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “The beautiful thing about art is that it’s open for interpretation.”</p>
<p>Naruto entered, heading to the fridge.</p>
<p>“Naruto, Gaara won’t admit he wrote a dirty song!” Sakura shot an accusing finger at the redhead.</p>
<p>The blond laughed. “So you saw the theories online, Sakura-chan?”</p>
<p>Gaara’s eyes widened in horror. Something in Naruto’s tone told him this couldn’t be any good. But it was already in the motion.</p>
<p>“What theories?” Sakura raised her brows.</p>
<p>Naruto came up to Gaara with a mischievous grin and threw his arm on his shoulders. “You see, fans speculate that the last verse is about a blow job. And that the title’s <em>‘small things’</em> actually refer to—”</p>
<p>Naruto didn’t get to finish his thought, because Gaara shoved the wet cloth into his face. Which resulted in an even louder roar of laughter coming from Uzumaki. </p>
<p>“Oh, God…” Sakura’s breathy voice reached Gaara’s ears. Taking a look at Sakura, Gaara caught a glimpse of the look of utter bewilderment on her face—eyes wide and jaw dropped—before she also bursted out laughing. She smashed Naruto over the head. “I won’t be able to get that image out of my head, Naruto! Way to ruin the song for me!”</p>
<p>“And what image exactly would that be, Sakura-chan?” Naruto grinned before Sakura snatched the cloth from Gaara’s hand and smacked the blond with it yet again over his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>∾∴∾</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gaara didn’t feel like going to Yamanaka’s party. However, he hadn’t seen Sakura or Naruto for almost two weeks now—their schedules were hectic these days. There was no other option for them to hang out together that weekend, since both Sakura and Naruto promised Ino they’d come to celebrate her new job. </p>
<p>In the end it wasn’t as bad as he feared it would be. </p>
<p>Ino held the party at the Yamanaka’s family house, but the social gathering was unusually small and private given her standards. He’d acquainted most of the people attending in the past, so he avoided the fuss coming from the band’s popularity. A cozy house party with a basic Spotify playlist playing in the background as people drank beer and chatted.</p>
<p>Gaara strolled lazily into the kitchen to grab his second beer that night. He didn’t crave it that much, he rather wanted to excuse himself from Ino’s loud friends. Sighing in relief as he reached the quieter side of the building, he crouched in front of the fridge, checking the available drinking options.  </p>
<p>“Congratulations on the album.” A dry voice came from the entrance to Yamanaka’s kitchen.</p>
<p>Gaara squared his shoulders. Uchiha Sasuke.</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Gaara replied, not trying to hinder his sarcasm. He didn’t even look up from the fridge. </p>
<p>“Good song, that single. Catchy.”</p>
<p>“That's usually what singles are.”</p>
<p>He stood up, his gaze landing on the Uchiha. His appearance was impeccable as always—good hair in a normal color, neat clothes and his aristocratic features hinting no traces of fatigue. Gaara tried his hardest not to compare, but he thought of the bags under his own eyes he hid with the kohl liner, the fierce color of his hair, and for a second he felt underdressed in his zipped hoodie and a washed-out t-shirt. Immediately, he snapped out of the sudden drop of confidence—at least he wasn’t a douchebag like the Uchiha.</p>
<p>Gaara never liked the Uchiha and didn’t understand Naruto’s sympathy for the guy. He knew where it came from—Sasuke also lost precious people in his life and Naruto had always been drawn to broken freaks. Gaara thought of himself as the best example of that. But Sasuke had never done anything to show he appreciated the friendship—the Uchiha always treated Naruto badly, as an annoyance. And Gaara despised him for it. That and his behaviour towards Sakura as well.</p>
<p>Sakura and Sasuke had never been a couple, that was a known fact. But some history was there. Gaara didn’t know any details—merely bits of gossip he’d gathered over the years. And the teasing Sakura still received from time to time from less sensitive acquaintances. Such remarks never came up in their small group of friends. The thing Gaara knew for sure was that the Uchiha hurt her. Sakura kept a voal of indifference around Sasuke, sometimes ignoring him altogether. They had many mutual friends, and much to Gaara’s annoyance he often attended the same events as them. Whenever it happened, Gaara openly ignored him and likewise.</p>
<p>Why did Uchiha Sasuke feel the need to approach him tonight? Gaara had no idea.</p>
<p>“It’s a hot topic,” Sasuke continued. “I bet you’re tired from all the questions who it is about at this point.”</p>
<p>Eager to finish the conversation, Gaara moved towards the door. “Part of the job.” He gave his retort and moved to walk past Sasuke, when the man took a step to the side blocking his path.</p>
<p>“Did Sakura ask you about it? What did you tell <em>her</em>?” he sneered. A dangerous glint appeared in his eye, but it did little to disturb Gaara. He had gotten into too many fights in his adolescence for Sasuke’s glares to affect him.</p>
<p>“We’re <em>close</em> friends.” Gaara could tell his choice of words pushed all the right buttons as Sasuke’s jaw tensed. “So yes, we talk. And amongst the many subjects we broach, my songs also often come up. Although I fail to see how it’s any of your business.”</p>
<p>“I don’t like you singing about her that way.”</p>
<p>Life was funny that way, Gaara thought. That of all people, Uchiha Sasuke was the first to confront him about the true meaning of his song.</p>
<p>“That’s not my problem.” Gaara took a step to once again move past him, but Sasuke caught the collar of the redhead’s hoodie, towering over him.</p>
<p>“Get your hands off me,” Gaara drawled. His palm started throbbing already, old instincts eager to get the best of him. It’d been long since Gaara got so close to losing his cool. A few years back his fist would’ve already made contact with Uchiha’s jaw. </p>
<p>“Gaara? Sasuke?” An alarmed voice came from the corridor. Both Gaara and Sasuke turned their heads to see Sakura with her hands on her hips, the look on her face very displeased. “What’s going on here?” She asked in a commanding voice.</p>
<p>“All good,” Gaara answered, putting on a calm facade. He looked pointedly at Sasuke’s hand that still gripped his collar. He couldn’t help the ironic smile. “Someone’s just too high on testosterone.”</p>
<p>For a second, Gaara thought Sasuke was about to snap and hit him. He was prepared, eager even. But none of that happened, even though he could see in Sasuke’s black eyes how badly he wanted to swing his fist at his face. He let go of Gaara’s hoodie with a little push as the last display of dominance, and off he went. </p>
<p>Passing Sakura, Sasuke locked eyes with her, and she gave him the coldest glance Gaara ever saw coming from her. </p>
<p>Her eyes warmed falling back on Gaara. </p>
<p>∴</p>
<p>“Given the tension, I’d say you were either going to kiss or exchange blows.” Sakura wore an amused look on her face as she scrutinized him.</p>
<p>“The latter,” Gaara murmured.</p>
<p>Sakura had led them to Ino’s bedroom at the very back of the building and further out into the terrace. Gaara was glad with her choice, it seemed private. Almost romantic even, them sitting on a wicker bench on warm May night, the bulbs hanging above their heads giving a fine glow. </p>
<p>“If I didn’t show up, you would’ve gotten into a fight, right?” Sakura knitted her brows.</p>
<p>“Very likely.”</p>
<p>“I’m against all violence,” she stated. “But I’d lie if I said I wouldn’t enjoy seeing Sasuke getting hit in the face.”</p>
<p>Gaara glanced at her. “I can still make it happen if you wish to. The pleasure would be all mine.” He pretended to get up, but Sakura caught his forearm with a giggle. </p>
<p>“He’s not worth the fuss.” A sad smile stretched Sakura’s lips. “Would you tell me what it was all about?”</p>
<p>Gaara looked away. “We get on each other’s nerves. That’s all.”</p>
<p>Sakura hummed in understanding, but clearly she suspected there was more to the story.</p>
<p>“You have never asked me about Sasuke,” she said, her voice calculated.</p>
<p>“I figured you’d tell me if you wanted to.” Even though it itched him to ask countless times.</p>
<p>This time it was her turn to look away.</p>
<p>She chuckled, with no real amusement. “And I’ve waited for you to ask, because I was too ashamed to bring it up.” From the pained look on her face and hearing her words, Gaara knew the Uchiha sure deserved a punch. “But there’s not much to tell. Quite cliché. A small-town girl getting smitten with the first hot guy that turned up.”</p>
<p>“Wasn’t Naruto the first person you met after coming to Konoha?”</p>
<p>“I competed with him in a burping contest during the initiation ceremony.” Sakura rolled her eyes with a nostalgic smile. “He went straight into the ‘younger brother’ category.”</p>
<p>Gaara snorted. “Poor Naruto. He had it hard for you at the beginning, you know?” </p>
<p>Sakura raised her brows. “He talked to you about it?”</p>
<p>“Every phone call he wouldn’t shut up about you,” he retorted. “It annoyed me, but it was worse when he ignored my calls altogether because he went out with you. Some random girl hanging out with my best friend—the audacity.” Gaara’s lip quirked. “I was so jealous of you.”</p>
<p>“Really? And I thought I made such a good impression the first time we met. We talked all night,” Sakura smiled at the memory.</p>
<p>They met at one of Naruto’s parties. It happened after their first semester of college, when Gaara finally got to visit Naruto in his dorm in Konoha and the blond organized a party to celebrate. He met a lot of people that night—all of Naruto’s new friends—but Sakura was the highlight of the event. He spent a whole night talking to a girl he’d just met. It still shocked him to this day. </p>
<p>Sakura didn’t know of his band—their popularity hadn’t gone beyond Suna yet, but she displayed genuine interest to hear all he had to tell her about it. They discussed music for hours—she wasn’t a musician herself, but had an extensive knowledge of various genres and a rich taste in music. She also told him of her interests and studies—in her free time she enjoyed painting, but she’d always been passionate about science and studied chemical engineering. Even though Gaara didn’t understand a thing about chemistry—which made him feel like an utter idiot—he listened closely because the way she talked about it made him oddly fascinated in the topic.</p>
<p>After that they occasionally met because of Naruto, but Gaara didn’t get to call her a friend until some time later.  That didn’t happen until he moved to Konoha.</p>
<p>“You made a very good impression,” he admitted. “Instantly made me realize why Naruto liked you so much.” His lip curled at the reminiscence. “I warmed up to you.” </p>
<p>The way Sakura smiled at him made the butterflies in his belly wake up and stir. </p>
<p>“Besides, you took me by surprise,” he added. “A beautiful girl talking to me willingly? Didn’t happen to me often back then.”</p>
<p>A delicate blush graced her cheeks at his compliment. He fought the urge to grin.</p>
<p><em>‘Back then’</em>, Sakura scoffed. “Someone’s gotten cocky.”</p>
<p>Gaara chuckled. He didn’t forget the main topic of their conversation though. He almost hit Uchiha Sasuke’s sorry face tonight. He wanted to know what Sasuke had done to deserve it.</p>
<p>“So, what happened to that small-town girl falling for the hot guy?” he pressed.</p>
<p>Sakura sighed, but she seemed more exasperated than hurt. Gaara took it for a good sign. “I was young and naive. I let him toy with my feelings for months. The looks, the flirting, and the touches. It never occurred to me, that I was only a mere entertainment for him.” </p>
<p>Gaara’s fist throbbed again. </p>
<p>“The thing that makes me sick to this day, is—” Sakura shut her eyes and took in a sharp breath. Once she spoke again, eyes still closed, her tone got an angry note to it, “I ignored all the red flags. I was so stupid,” she spat blinking. A tear fell down, which Sakura quickly wiped with her sleeve. Wishing to offer her some comfort, Gaara reached out, cradling her face. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and Sakura’s mouth stretched in a small smile. </p>
<p>He had to ask. “Did he hurt you?” </p>
<p>“Only with his words and indifference.” Sakura rolled her watery eyes.</p>
<p>“As stated before—he’s a jerk. And youth is full of mistakes,” Gaara lowered his gaze, looking back at his own past. “You were learning a lesson.” </p>
<p>“At least I learned my lesson before more damage was done,” Sakura retorted. “Even though I’ve never been more humiliated in my life. Surprisingly I got over him pretty quickly. I guess him being a jerk helped a lot,” she sneered. </p>
<p>The corner of Gaara’s mouth lifted in a sour smile at her jab towards the Uchiha. It gave him some relief to hear her joking about it, leaving the pain behind. Without much thinking he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. </p>
<p>“I’ve done so many stupid things when I was younger,” he admitted, once he pulled back. “The key is to never repeat them.”</p>
<p>Sakura nodded, thoughtful. She reached for his abandoned beer on the small table and toasted. “I’d drink to that.”</p>
<p>They both took long sips from the bottle, and Sakura leaned on Gaara’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“You never told me about any of your romance stories,” she said. “And you’re a rockstar.” He snorted, hearing her call him that, “so I’m guessing there must be quite a few of them.” </p>
<p>“You never asked.” </p>
<p>Sakura tilted her head to stick her tongue at him. “I’m asking now. Humour me.”</p>
<p>He sighed. “As you well know, in highschool I was very busy with hitting the bottom. And that left very little time to take interest in girls.”</p>
<p>Gaara had a troubling past. With his mother gone and his father failing at being a parent, as a kid he was left to his own devices. And not knowing how to deal with his pain, he took all the wrong advice. Until he finally let his siblings and the Uzumakis save him. </p>
<p>“So, when we started the band in Suna,” he continued, “I admit I got into the whole… intimate sphere of life a little too eager. The more gigs we played the more girls were interested in me and it got… overwhelming.”</p>
<p>Her gaze was on him and Gaara felt his cheeks heating up. “I might’ve… broken a heart or two along the way. I hate to admit it, but I was a jerk too. Until I understood that brief and purely physical kind of intimacy was not what I was looking for.” </p>
<p>“Do you know now what you’re looking for?” she asked in a whisper.</p>
<p>Gaara stared into her eyes, unable to read the thoughts hiding behind them. He feared that in contrast she’d be able look right through him in this vulnerable state. He only managed to nod.</p>
<p>“Good. I hope you’ll find it.”</p>
<p>It felt like he did. </p>
<p>“I want something real and… lasting,” Gaara confessed. “Do you think it’s too much to ask for?”</p>
<p>“No, it’s just the right amount.” She giggled and he flicked her nose. “I should’ve known that under that sarcastic facade of yours is just another person desperate for love,” she mocked, and Gaara felt relieved to leave the seriousness behind.</p>
<p>“I literally have it written all over my forehead. Could I be any more obvious about it?” he asked, sarcasm lacing his voice and she laughed wholeheartedly.</p>
<p>“But you never seem to enjoy singing the love songs,” she pointed out.</p>
<p>“I’d like to remind you who writes most of the love songs in our band—Shikamaru. How would you feel about singing a love song that was most likely written with your own sister in mind?”</p>
<p>Sakura bursted into laughter. “How have I never realized it before?!”</p>
<p>She kept laughing into his chest and all that was left for him to do was to hug her closer and laugh with her.</p>
<p>The May beetles buzzed in the rhythm of their mirth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>∾∴∾</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The buzz around the song didn’t die down. The band was in the middle of their tour and even though Gaara loved to perform, he started to feel the exhaustion catching up to him. And he missed his friends. The video calls and text messages didn’t fulfill him. It had been weeks since he’d been in Konoha and another couple weeks left of touring. </p>
<p>What a relief it was to get to the Myōboku Festival. </p>
<p>Sakura and Naruto already bought the tickets months ago, and he couldn’t be more thankful to see his friends after 6 weeks of separation. The band had arrived three days ago. They had a small gap in their schedule planned specifically for the festival, so they could take a breath between concerts and recharge their batteries. For the first time, Sand Tanuki got lined up on the main stage at the Myōboku Festival, as the highlight of the third day of the event. The biggest day of the summer festival and they got moved up to that spot after <em>“All the small things”</em> and their album turned out to be a huge success. Everyone wanted a share in their triumph now. </p>
<p>His sister, Temari, also got invited to perform at the Festival—all three of the siblings had grown up to be musicians—and showed up a few days earlier as well to “spend some quality time with her little brother”. Gaara didn’t believe her for a second, and got proven right when she mysteriously disappeared with Shikamaru the first evening they came to the festival site. Kankuro also planned to come to the event, although with his schedule tight, his arrival was scheduled for the day of Gaara’s concert. </p>
<p>Gaara spent his three days off jamming with the other musicians who already arrived, rehearsing before the concert and hanging out with his sister—if she was around. And now, after weeks of waiting he was finally about to see his friends. He’d been fidgety all morning, earning different kinds of teasing from his bandmates for that, but it was all worth it.</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>
    <strong>9.42 AM To: Sakura</strong><br/>
<em>Where are you?</em>
  </p>
</div><strong>9.45 AM From: Sakura</strong><br/><em>Gettin thru. lots of ppl and Naruto stops at every food stand -.-</em><p>Gaara smiled. A few more minutes and he’d have his reunion. During the band’s tour the evenings became his favourite part of the day. Almost everyday after a concert, a text from Sakura waited for him, an excuse to start a long texting conversation between them. He’d sometimes call her, to see her face and smile, but he didn’t feel comfortable talking, knowing Lee and Shikamaru layed one bunk away, hearing every word he said. So, headphones in ears, he’d listen to Sakura talking until her voice lulled him to sleep. </p>
<p>
  <em>Well, at least we know how to fight your insomnia now, given how I seem to bore you to death!</em>
</p>
<p>She got so annoyed whenever it happened, as she failed to realize the feeling of content made him fall asleep rather than him getting tired of her. </p>
<p>All of a sudden, small hands covered his eyes from behind. Their coldness alone indicated who they belonged to, even before Sakura screamed into his ear.</p>
<p>“Guess who!”</p>
<p>“A moron,” Gaara answered, feigning irritation.</p>
<p>He grabbed her hands, slipping them from his face and turned to see her. Toothy beam, pink hair in two small buns, and her heart-shaped festival sunglasses in place. She looked just as excited to be there as he was to see her. His heartbeat sped up. Before he realized it, she engulfed him in a welcoming hug. Engrossed in her, Gaara didn’t even notice Naruto and Hinata until the blond jumped on them, initiating a group hug.</p>
<p>God, he was happy to see them.</p>
<p>∴</p>
<p>“Did you remember to water my plants?” he asked Sakura, once they were left alone. They sat on a bench next to the band’s bus, where Lee was giving Naruto and Hinata a tour.</p>
<p>“Of course. I have to go to your place three times a week to water them,” she complained.</p>
<p>“And you water them according to the instructions I left you?” He had to make sure. His plants were very important to him.</p>
<p>“Gaara, I work in a chemistry lab. You insult me if you think I don’t respect a formula.” She shook her head at him in exasperation. </p>
<p>He hummed in appreciation. Despite Sakura’s overall clumsiness, he didn’t trust anybody else but her with his plants. </p>
<p>“I’ll have to leave you for a few hours,” he announced. A look of disappointment flashed through Sakura’s face, so fast he barely caught on it. “I have a soundcheck.”</p>
<p>“A soundcheck? So soon? The concert’s tomorrow.” Sakura shot him a curious glance.</p>
<p>Gaara kept it a secret for two weeks, because he wanted to see the look on her face in person.</p>
<p>“It is. But I’ve been invited to sing along with another musician tonight,” he said, enigmatic.</p>
<p>Sakura’s eyes widened. “Who?”</p>
<p>He couldn’t contain his smile any longer. “Fuu.”</p>
<p>Sakura squealed.</p>
<p>The manager of Fuu approached Sand Tanuki’s team a few weeks before the festival to make an offer. Fuu was a young musician from Taki and he asked Gaara to join the girl on stage for one of her most popular songs—a duet. Since the original male voice couldn’t come, her team thought Gaara’s appearance might be a nice surprise for the fans. They agreed; Gaara didn’t mind helping out another starting artist—he knew well himself how hard it was to break through. The girl performed delicate and feminine music, very different from Sand Tanuki’s style, and Gaara looked forward to challenging himself and showing his vocals from a different angle.</p>
<p>Another important factor was that Sakura happened to be a big fan of Fuu’s music.</p>
<p>Sakura gasped.”You’re gonna sing <em>‘Little talks’</em> with her, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>He nodded, enjoying how flushed Sakura’s cheeks got from excitement. She inhaled sharply, covering her face with her hands as she squealed a little more. “And I was already so pumped for her concert! I don’t know how I’m gonna wait another few hours.”</p>
<p>And now came the best part. “Would you like to meet her?”</p>
<p>Sakura choked on her breath. “I swear if you’re messing with me—”</p>
<p>Gaara laughed. “I wouldn’t dare.”</p>
<p>“You’d really do this for me?”</p>
<p>“I already did.” He pointed at the badge hanging from her neck, the one he gave her and the others right as they met at the festival grounds. “This thing will grant you a pass backstage after the gig.”</p>
<p>Garra barely kept his balance as Sakura threw herself on him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best, Gaara!” A very wet kiss landed on his cheek. He made a show of wiping the spot, hoping to hide the deep blush the kiss caused. </p>
<p>Sakura kept beaming at him. “I can’t promise though, that I won’t embarrass you.”</p>
<p>He rolled his eyes. “Already made peace with that.”</p>
<p>∴</p>
<p>The crowd welcomed his guest appearance with huge tumult and enthusiasm. Fuu’s manager couldn’t hide his satisfaction from the fact. Even though Fuu seemed to be slightly intimidated with Gaara’s presence during their rehearsals—she admitted to be his huge fan, no trace of timidity showed up during the live performance. The song differed from what Gaara usually composed himself, but he resonated with the message of it and really got into it on stage. </p>
<p>After the concert, he introduced Sakura to Fuu, who did her best to act civilized around her idol. Gaara enjoyed seeing Sakura so flustered around Fuu, it was such a rare sight. They chatted for a while and took a few photos, the beam not disappearing from Sakura’s face even for a second. He accomplished his mission.</p>
<p>Before leaving, he thanked Fuu once again for letting Sakura backstage.</p>
<p>“Oh, it’s nothing! I also drag my boyfriend to meet all the musicians I’m playing with.” The sentence hit Gaara like a punch to his stomach. “You guys make such a sweet couple, give me a call if you ever come for a romantic weekend to Taki!”  </p>
<p>Gaara could only be thankful Sakura wasn’t near enough to hear that.</p>
<p>∴</p>
<p>“Can you believe there are already posts in social media speculating about you two?” Sakura scoffed. </p>
<p>They ambled towards the main area of the festival site. After the performance, they set out to explore the festival at its peak. Just the two of them. Sakura didn’t insist on finding the others, instead hauled him to the first gig on her list and Gaara couldn’t be more happy to comply.</p>
<p>Strolling through the festival grounds, Sakura showed him her phone, and he read the headline <em>“Myōboku’s budding romance?”</em> over the picture of him and Fuu’s on stage. “I don’t think anyone would take this seriously,” he said with a shrug. “Besides, it’s some irrelevant website.”</p>
<p>Why would it even show up on her feed? They both quickly forgot about all that as Sakura dragged him to the first concert on her list for the night. She had so many items on her list it didn’t fit on the screen and their schedule was tight. Gaara wouldn’t trade one minute of it. </p>
<p>The night was a blast. </p>
<p>It had been a while since Gaara had the opportunity to enjoy music as part of the audience and it felt so refreshing, to sway in the rhythm of good live music that he didn’t put an ounce of energy into producing. And to have Sakura jump, dance and sing along to the songs right next to him gave an extra thrill to it. </p>
<p>There was one moment when his mood dropped slightly and even then only for a short while. Despite the hood of his red sweatshirt covering his hair and casting a shadow on his face, he got recognised by Deidara and Sasori, musicians he knew well. For one, he got annoyed that his alone time with Sakura got disrupted, especially since she seemed quite eager to chat with them. And two, because they seemed very interested in his female friend.</p>
<p>“For a second I thought you were gonna ditch me,” Gaara grunted after they had finally parted ways with the men and made a stop at the food stands. Sakura shot him a curious look, mouth full of her burger. He added, “Sasori was hitting on you so hard.”</p>
<p>She laughed, and after swallowing the bite she said with a smirk, “Gaara, don’t tell me you’re jealous.” He was, but he’d never admit it out loud. “You know you’re my favourite redhead.”</p>
<p>She flashed him a smile and ruffled his hair. </p>
<p>He tried really hard not to read too much into it, but it was so damn difficult when her eyes brightened whenever she looked at him.</p>
<p>∴</p>
<p>As they moved through the hordes of people, Sakura’s hand always found its place in his—Gaara couldn’t tell who initiated the contact—not to lose one another in the chaos. Her palm in his, warm feeling spreading through his chest, it all felt awfully like… a date almost. </p>
<p>He had to remind himself constantly that it wasn’t.</p>
<p>It sure felt a lot like it whenever Sakura engaged him into that little dance of hers when she enjoyed a particular song a lot. And when their gazes locked during slow songs. Or when her body got pressed to his because of lack of free space in the audience. His hands landing on her hips, he guided her movements, as she exposed her neck to him leaning on his shoulder, eyes closed, and smiling. His head got light as all blood rushed to a whole different area of his body. </p>
<p>The music had finished a while ago and the area slowly emptied, as it was the last gig of the day. But they remained. Swaying and in no hurry to separate, Gaara hugged her from behind, refusing to let her go. Sakura didn’t seem to mind, as she put her palms over his, resting her cheek against his jaw. </p>
<p>“It’s getting late,” she said softly. “You should rest. Tomorrow’s a big day.”</p>
<p>She had a point. They had their concert and a lot to do before that. But Gaara didn’t want the night to end just yet. Not when he finally had her so close to him, as they tested the boundaries of their friendship.</p>
<p>“Come with me?” Gaara asked, his lips accidentally brushing her ear. She shuddered and licked her lips. “We have extra bunks, you can crash there if you wish,” he added. He didn’t want her to think he had any ill intentions.</p>
<p>A slow smile stretched her lips. “Sounds cozy.”</p>
<p>Holding hands, they moved to the campsite. As they neared the fence, Gaara cursed. A group of people waited there, probably hoping to meet their idols on their way to the camp. Reporters who hoped to get humiliating pictures of celebrities and fans without any sense of tact.</p>
<p>Gaara took off his hoodie and gave it to Sakura, pulling the hood over her head so low it almost hid her eyes. He strained the strings and tied them over Sakura’s mouth, causing her to giggle. </p>
<p>“Do I look like Kenny from South Park?” she asked grinning. “Because I sure feel like it.”</p>
<p>The comparison made Gaara smile—it was an accurate one and it reminded him of long winter nights spent on Sakura’s couch as they binged the cartoon. After he made sure no pink strand escaped the hood, he put his arm around her and pressed her to his chest as they stumbled through the small crowd. The security noticed them first and they rushed to escort them to the gate, but even despite their best efforts a few cameras flashed and fans started to scream. Gaara let go of Sakura when they entered the bus, where he was certain no camera would be able to reach them. He’d never let Sakura’s privacy get invaded like that. </p>
<p>Gaara was glad to find the bus empty.</p>
<p>“God, is this your life?” she asked, as Gaara looked for something for her to sleep in.</p>
<p>“It’s not usually that  bad. The festival atmosphere makes people particularly crazy.”</p>
<p>“Do I wanna know why you own spare women's clothes?” Sakura asked, once he handed her the piece of clothing. She eyed the fabrics suspiciously, hanging them from her pinched fingers.</p>
<p>Gaara rolled his eyes. “The shorts are Temari’s. She left some of her things here. And the shirt is mine, thank you for thinking it’s feminine,” he added dryly.</p>
<p>While Sakura changed in the small bathroom, Gaara switched his jeans to sweatpants, texted Naruto about Sakura’s whereabouts, and headed to make some herbal tea for sleep. He knew he would have trouble falling asleep, given the large dose of excitement he experienced throughout the day. </p>
<p>When he got back to the sleeping section of the bus with two steaming mugs, Sakura was already there. He almost tripped at the view. He never noticed how deeply the v-neck of his shirt was cut. The neckline wide on Sakura’s narrow form, it fell down her left shoulder, showing her collarbone. And the bottom was too damn short. She must’ve noticed him staring, given the blush on her cleavage and cheeks, but didn’t comment on it. Instead, she started guessing whose bunk bed belonged to who. She got all of them correct.</p>
<p>“Oh, and I know this pillow very well,” she said, jumping on his bunk bed and making herself comfortable. The sight of her wiggling in his sheets enticed some very dangerous thoughts. He slapped himself mentally and joined her in the small space. “I’ve seen you falling asleep on it too many times to forget.” She shot him a disapproving look and he grinned, handing her the cup. </p>
<p>Sakura noticed the photographs hanging above the curtain of the bunk bed. She smiled, and started reminiscing where each one was taken. There were pictures of him with Naruto, Sakura, and the rest of their friends. All photographs featured groups, but there was one where Gaara got photographed with one person only. </p>
<p>“I didn’t know you had this picture,” Sakura said, surprised.</p>
<p>He shrugged, and took a sip of his tea to hide his nervousness behind the mug. Naruto took the picture on Gaara’s first New Years Eve in Konoha, the same one Sakura and he got stupid drunk on champagne. The photo had Sakura beaming goofily next to him, their cheeks pressed together with her arm thrown on his shoulders, and him looking at her from the corner of his eyes. Gaara never said it out loud, but the picture made him think they looked cute together.</p>
<p>“I’ve never seen this one!” she exclaimed pointing at the oldest photograph. The picture featured him with his siblings, their Mother, and the Uzumakis in their beautiful garden on a sunny day. Naruto and he were around 6 when the picture was taken. “You were such a cute kid!” </p>
<p>“The only kid I’ve ever seen with bags under his eyes,” he murmured.</p>
<p>“Doesn’t matter, you look so… cheerful!” She laughed. Her face right next to his, he saw the tiny mole on her cheek he’d never noticed before. Up close, people looked so much more human, so much more real. Funny, because the whole situation seemed surreal to Gaara. </p>
<p>Sakura’s eyes wandered to the silhouette of his mother in the photograph. He had shown Sakura some pictures of her in the past, but something must’ve caught her attention because her brows furrowed in thought. Then her face lightened up and she tilted her head to him, warmth in her eyes. </p>
<p>“You have your mother’s smile, you know that?” she asked, her voice soft. Tender smile stretching her lips, she raised her hand to his face and caressed his cheekbone with her thumb. “Your eyes crinkle the same way.”</p>
<p>His heart pounded in his chest and breath got caught in his lungs. The butterflies got loose. The gesture, her words… They had been close before, but in that moment it got <em>intimate</em>. </p>
<p>Gaara dipped his head and his forehead rested against her collarbone. “She looked more beautiful when smiling than I do.”</p>
<p>“I disagree,” Sakura whispered into his hair and kissed his temple. Near his tattoo. </p>
<p>She pulled him into a hug and lied down onto his pillow, holding him in her arms. His arm encircled her waist, palm flat on her back. So warm, so soft under his touch, and so close. Closer than she’d ever been before. Relaxed and content, Gaara felt his eyelids getting heavy. Squished on his small bed, legs tangled, none of them dared to disturb the intimate peacefulness. </p>
<p>Until Sakura’s arms squeezed his chest with unexpected ferocity.  </p>
<p>“I missed you,” she whispered.</p>
<p>The warm feeling from his chest spreading all over his body, Gaara couldn’t help that dopey smile that found its place on his face. “I missed you, too.”</p>
<p>He tilted his head for it to land in the crook of her neck. Pressing a chaste kiss under her jaw, Gaara fell asleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I love Sasuke, I really do! So please don’t hate me for being mean to him in this chapter. Please remember that this is shown from Gaara’s POV who is biased against Sasuke for <em>obvious</em> reasons. And the other point of view we get is Sakura’s who, you know, is the girl hurt by Sasuke. So no objectivity here hahah. They might be even exaggerating a bit. Maybe if we got a glimpse of Naruto’s opinion of that matter Sasuke wouldn’t come up as such a bad guy. We didn’t. (there was no way Naruto fitted in that romantic scene in the garden lol)</p>
<p>Fun fact: The Rolling Stones did in fact call the song “All the small things” ‘the most subtle song about sex’</p>
<p>I can’t promise the last update will be next week as there is a scene that needs a rewrite and I’m struggling with it a bit. </p>
<p>As always, kudos and comments are the best reward ❤ please let me know in the comments what you think!</p>
<p>Stay safe ❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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